UDF drags Delhi govt to High Court over ‘opaque’ senior resident recruitment
New Delhi: The Rekha Gupta-led Delhi BJP government has landed in legal trouble with the United Doctors Front (UDF) moving the Delhi High Court against the recent Senior Resident (SR) recruitment process in government hospitals.
In a writ petition filed through Advocate-on-Record Dr Charu Mathur (Diary No. 31458/2026), UDF has challenged the selection process followed across major Delhi government hospitals, including Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC), Lok Nayak Hospital (LNJP), GB Pant Hospital and Guru Tegh Bahadur (GTB) Hospital.
The doctors’ body alleged that thousands of candidates were recruited solely through interviews, without any written examination, declared merit criteria or transparent evaluation mechanism. According to UDF, interview marks and the basis of final selection were never disclosed, raising serious questions over arbitrariness and violation of constitutional norms.
UDF has also flagged category-wise discrepancies, claiming reserved category seats were improperly allotted. It alleged that candidates were arbitrarily posted to institutions against their declared preferences despite vacancies being available. Shockingly, several sanctioned posts were left unfilled without any official explanation, the petition states.
The organisation further pointed to post-selection corrigenda issued by authorities, terming them proof of procedural chaos and “non-application of mind”.
“Senior Residents are the backbone of government hospitals. They run emergency wards, ICUs and support academic training. Any injustice in their recruitment directly affects patient care and medical education,” said UDF President Dr Lakshya Mittal.
What has raised eyebrows, he said, is that such “constitutionally questionable practices” are taking place in the national capital, setting a dangerous precedent for healthcare recruitment across the country.
Through the petition, UDF has sought judicial scrutiny, transparency in the process and strict adherence to Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution. The organisation has demanded a fair, merit-based recruitment system in the larger interest of doctors, patients and public healthcare institutions.
The matter is expected to come up for hearing soon.